British Navy and the Use of Naval Power in the Eighteenth Century, The

This book is based on a highly successful conference which brought together leading scholars in the field of British naval history, 1688-1815. Naval power was of key importance in this period, the fundamental safeguard against foreign attack and the source of Britain's success in becoming a world power. Specific themes explored in the volume include sea power as a diplomatic weapon, the relationship between the Navy and British commerce, the personal and administrative factors affecting the development of British naval power, and the obstacles that it encountered. The most dangerous threat to British naval power in this period was the American War of Independence, and valuable new perspectives on this topic are offered in a number of the essays. All the essays are based on original research. Individually they offer valuable contributions to the study of British naval history in this period; collectively they provide an important account of the first great age of British naval power, one that is sensitive to both the strengths and the weaknesses of the British position.